Place: Reviews & Ratings

Reviews by Floydster:

2.85/5rDev n/a

Stopped in here the other day on the way home to grab a banana and water, but checked out the beer selection while I was there

Two shelves completely dedicated to beer with Samuel Smith's organic brews (have not seen these too many places), Full Sail LTD series, a couple Lindenman's, 2006 Vintage Ale they collaborated with Unibroe on is still around, a bunch of their own stuff and two Anderson Valley six packs

Oh I almost forgot, Mississippi Mud Black and Tan Beer, still not quite brave enough to try that beer

Not too bad for a Trader Joe's, but the Redlands location is a lot better I think

Not bad if you are in the area, but just a couple hundred yards away is La Bodega and they have a much better selection, even though some things are very pricy, Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard in particular, $19.99 for a six pack, what a joke (843 characters)

More User Reviews:

Trader Joes has to be one of the best stores on the planet. Not only does it have a great beer selection, but it has all the meats, cheeses, fish, etc. that you can pair with you beers. TJs has a cool selection of inexpensive beers that rock your world for under five bucks a six pack. Black Toad Dark Ale, Brickyard Oatmeal Stout, Black Hart Irish Dry....not to mention local Californian goodies like Mendocino, North Coast, or Anderson Valley beers. The import section is short but sweet, offering several faithful brands like Young's, Chimay, etc. The selection might not be huge, but you can usually find a good amount of styles represented. The staff can be very knowledgeable, but are always friendly. Good Drinking. (722 characters)

For Riverside, this place has an excellent selection of beers. As the previous reviewer said, this place is the same as most Trader Joe's. There's plenty of the basics; Chimay, Sam Smith's, Wittekerke, Lindemann's, plus all the TJ's brands and random West Coast micros and Euro lagers. I've never had a problem with service at this or any other TJ's, but this is not a place that specializes in beer, so don't expect too much help. Unfortunately for this TJ's location, it is just across the street from La Bodega Liquor, which is probably the only place in town that offers a much, much larger selection at about the same prices and much better hours. (652 characters)

This is one of two grocery stores that I use to buy most of my staples, so I go here frequently. Tucked in the back of the newly gutted (OK, almost completely torn down and re-started) Riverside Plaza, this Trader Joe's is lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time. In other words, a very popular crowded part of Riverside, so they do lots of business. It's also a mere few blocks from La Bodega, the real beer-lover's store in Riverside. The two spots together make for a pretty good selection of beer.

Standard for the chain, this has a section of its extensive wine aisle set off for about 60 different beers- Samuel Smith's, Chimays, Lindemanns, Full Sail, several Euro lager types, and some other domestics. I actually counted in preparation of this review, and it was almost exactly 60. Not bad.

Pricing is good, and they get plenty of the TJ's special brews when they come out (such as the recent 2005 vintage Dark Belgian Ale made by Unibroue). My favorite is the occasion when they fill up grocery bags with random singles, staple it shut, and sell it as a loss leader just to get rid of old beer that's not selling. I'm sure it isn't fresh, but it's a chance to try a few oddball beers I would not likely buy otherwise.

So what's to say? Most of the TJ's I've been to are pretty similar, and this is pretty typical of the breed. I'm glad it's nearby, but to be honest, I don't buy a lot of beer here. (1,434 characters)